India can grow at 8 pc for next 20 years: UN expert

India can achieve an eight per cent growth rate for the next two decades by promoting investment and improving the living conditions of its people, a senior UN economic official has said. Describing India’s economic condition as largely positive and “favourable to growth”, Sebastian Vergara, an Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations, said the country needs to unleash the next set of reforms to achieve its potential. “It needs to think as to how to maintain and consolidate its growth for a very long period of time. India in our assessment has the potential to grow at eight per cent, not for a few years, but 20 years,” Vergara told PTI. “For that, India needs to come out with the next series of reforms, for example, promote investment and improve the living condition of its population,” he said. Despite the positive economic condition, Vergara said, India’s economic growth could be a little lower in comparison to some of the earlier forecasts. The UN, in its latest report, projected India’s growth rate to be 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019.